Feed-water heater.



PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

YG.H.GATES. FEED WATER HEATER. AYPLIOATION FILED JULY 1. 1905.

f A TTOBNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed July 1,1905. Serial No. 267,874.

T 0 all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLEs H. GATES, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Carbondale, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Feed -Water Purifiers and Heatersfor Steam- Boilers, of which the following is a full, clear, andcomplete disclosure.

The object of my invention is the production of a simple and effectivedevice of this class by means of which the feed-water for a boiler isnot only heated and introduced into a boiler at the requiredtemperature, but is also purified and all grease and other foreignmatters that it may contain are effectively removed or prevented frompassing over to the feed-pump and thence to the boiler.

For a full, clear, and exact description of my invention reference maybe had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my feed-water purifier and heater,certain parts of which are shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a detailedsectional view of my preferred form of sprayer used in connection withmy device.

In carrying out my invention I connect an exhaust-steam pipe by a branchpipe 2 with awater-heating pipe or chamber 3, the latter being providedwith an extension 4, which forms a continuation of the chamber 3 andenters a hot-water tank 5, the lower end of said continuation beingthree or four inches below the normal level of the water in the saidtank.

6 represents a cold-water pipe, the discharge end of which extends for aconsiderable distance into the water-heating pipe or chamber 3, and theend 7 of said water-pipe 6 is provided with perforations 7, which in thepreferred form of my invention incline down wardly or lengthwise of thewater-heating chamber or pipe 3. The lower end of the pipe 7 is providedwith screw-threads 8, into which a plug 9 is securely screwed, thusclosing the end thereof. The coldwater pipe 6 is further provided with avalve 10, which is controlled by a float 11, so arranged that when thelevel of the water in the tank falls below a certain predetermined pointthe valve 10 will be opened and cold water will be permitted to flowthrough the pipe 6 and perforations 7 into the water-heating pipe orchamber 3.

The tank 5 is open at its top to atmospheric pressure, and in thepreferred form of my inventionthe entire top of the tank will be open,although, of course, a screen or foraminous covermight be provided forthe top forthe purpose of keeping out dirt and foreign bodies withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. The tank 5 is also providednear its bottom with an opening, into which a pipe 12 is inserted andsecured, said pipe leading to the force or feed pump by which the waterin the tank is fed to the boiler. The end of the pipe 12 is preferablyprovided with the screen 13 for the purpose of preventing dirt andforeign matter from being carried through the pipe into the boiler. Avalve 14, also connected to the bottom of the tank by means of the pipe15, provides means for removing the mud and sediment which may settleand accumulate at the bot tom of the tank, .and 16 is an overflow-pipe,by means of which the Water is prevented from rising above apredetermined level in the tank.

The operation of my device is as follows: The water being maintained atan approximately constant level by means of the float 11, steam from theexhaust-pipe will fill the branch 2, water-heating pipe or chamber 3,and the extension 4; but the steam is prevented from passing out of theextension 4 by reason of the fact that the said extension reaches belowthe level of the water in the tank and is therefore watersea1ed. When,however, the level of the water in the tank 5 falls by reason of thesupply in the tank having been drawn 0H through the pipe 12 for thepurpose of filling the boilers, the float 11 will also fall, opening thevalve 10 and permitting cold water to enter the water-heating chamber 3through the sprayer 7. Upon issuing from the sprayer the cold waterimmediately condenses most of the steam in the water-heating pipe orchamber 3, absorbing the heat thereof and forming a partial vacu um inthe pipe 2, water-heating pipe or chamber 3, and extension 4. Thispartial vacuum will draw more steam from the exhauststeam pipe 1 intothe water-heating chamber and so long as the level of the water in thetank remains below the predetermined point will the cold water pipecontinue to discharge into the water-heating pipe or chamber 3 and willmore steam continue to be drawn into the said chamber or pipe 3 to heatthe cold water which is entering. When the tank 5 is full, then thecoldwater supply will be automatically shut off through the action IIOof the float 11 and there will be practically little or no steamcondensed into the waterheating pipe or chamber 3, and consequently onlyso much steam will be supplied to the water-heating chamber as suflicesto keep the chamber 3 filled with steam.

From the above description it will be apparent that only so much steamis consumed as is necessary to heat that amount of cold water which isrequired to keep the water in the tank at a fixed or constant level.

As the grease and similar'impurities will rise to the top of thehot-water tank 5, by my improved construction and arrangement theycan-be easily removed, as the tank 5 is open at the top and the surfaceof the water is readily accessible.

In the forms of feed-water heaters now in use considerable diflicultyhas been experienced in starting the heater, since with a closed tank aconsiderable amount of back pressure is created in the tank by reason ofthe accumulation of air liberated from in the water fed into the tank,no means being provided for relieving this back pressure, since the tankitself after the heater has been started is depended upon to maintainthe partial vacuum by which the exhaust-steam is drawn over into thewater-heating chamher, and must consequently be kept closed. In myimproved construction it will be seen that no such difficulty willarise, since any air contained in the water is immediately free toescape from the tank into the atmosphere.

By giving a downward inclination to the opening 7 in my sprayer 7 thestarting of the the steam more rapidly over into the waterheating pipeor chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire toprotectby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a feed-water heater, the combination of an open tank, awater-heating pipe or chamber, the lower end of which is at all timessealed by the water in the said tank, means for maintaining a constantlevel of water in the tank, means for supplying steam to saidwater-heating pipe or chamber, and a cold-water pipe provided with asprayer located within said pipe or chamber.

2. In a feed-water heater, an open tank, a cold-water pipe provided witha sprayer, means whereby the level of the water in the tank is used toregulate the supply of cold water, a steam-pipe surrounding said supply.and having its lower end sealed at all times by the water in the tankand forming a waterheating chamber, and means for supplying steam tosaid water-heating chamber.

3. In a feed-water heater, the combination of an open tank, thewater-heating pipe or chamber having its lower end sealed at all timesby the water in the tank, means for supplying steam to saidwater-heating chamber, means for discharging cold water within saidchamber, and means controlled by the level of the water in the tank forregulating the supply of cold water to the chamber.

4. In a feed-water heater, the combination with an exhaust-steam pipe,of an open tank, the water-heating chamber having its lower end sealedat all times by the water in the tank, means for maintaining theconstant level of water in the tank, the branch pipe leading from thesaid exhaust-pipe to the said water-heating pipe or chamber and acold-water pipe provided with a sprayer, the perforations of which areall arranged to discharge the water delivered to the chambersubstantially lengthwise of the water-heating chamber whereby the waterentering the chamber tends to draw steam from the ex haust-pipe into thesaid water-heating chamher.

5. In afeed-water heater, the combination of an exhaust-steam pipe 1, ofa water-heating pipe or chamber 3, provided with the extension 4c,connected to the said exhauststeam pipe 1, and having its lower end atall times sealed by the water in the tank, of a cold-Water pipe 6provided with the sprayer 7, located within the said pipe or chamber 3,

the tank 5 and the valve 10 controlled by the float 11 in the tank 5.

6. In a feed-water heater, the combination with an exhaust-steam pipe,of an open tank, a water-heating pipe or chamber extending below thesurface of the water in said tank, and means for discharging cold waterwithin said pipe or chamber said means consisting of adownwardly-extending cylindrical nozzle, the vertical side walls ofwhich are provided with downwardly extending perforations whereby allthe water passing through said nozzle, is discharged lengthwise of theheating-chamber to draw steam from said exhaust-steam pipe into the saidwater-heating chamber.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of June,1905.

CHARLES H. GATES.

Witnesses J. OHEARN, GEORGE A. KASE.

